A scheme for 50 homes in a Pembrokeshire town, recommended for refusal, has been put on hold temporarily in the hopes the applicants can find a way to address the issues of concern that have been raised.

In an application recommended for refusal at the October meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, South Meadow Homes Ltd sought permission for a development of 50 homes, including a 10 per cent affordable housing contribution, on land north of Gibbas Way, Pembroke.

A report for members said that other financial obligations for the scheme, other than affordable housing units, were sought.

“[Policy] indicates that where development generates a need for new or improved infrastructure and this is not already provided for, then this must be funded by the development.

“Both the Director of Education and the Head of Infrastructure (Highways) have identified the need for financial obligations to address the shortfall in planned capacity at Henry Tudor School (£41,321.74) and to secure ‘active travel’ improvements (£25,000) respectively. The financial obligations sought total £66,321.74.

“In addition, the S106 Obligation will secure the provision of the proposed on-site affordable housing (five units) and a suitable mechanism for provision and ongoing management and maintenance of the public open space provided on-site.

“However, other than the provision of the affordable housing units, the applicant has challenged the obligations sought, suggesting that they are not justified and inferring that the development will be unviable if they are to be secured.”

It was recommended for refusal on the grounds of the absence of that obligation and for the need for a full Screening and Appropriate Assessment (AA) in compliance with the Habitats Regulations (2017) in consultation with Natural Resources Wales.

It said, in the absence of this, to grant planning permission would be “unlawful”.

Pembrokeshire County Council recently backed sending a letter to the First Minister, conveying the authority’s “great concern over Natural Resources Wales’ recent river nitrates guidance in relation to development, and the serious effects this is having”.

It says: “As you are aware, it has essentially placed a moratorium on certain types of development in Pembrokeshire, a situation with no quick or obvious way out.”

It says the area which development is required to demonstrate nitrogen neutrality is approximately 75 per cent of the county, including Haverfordwest, Narberth, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock, and amounts to approximately 35 per cent of the council’s future housing land supply.

At the planning meeting, members heard the applicants were investigating ways of mitigating the NRW concerns, and “at no time” had they refused the other obligations sought, awaiting an independent valuation of the viability with those conditions.

Members were asked for the scheme to be “paused” while those issues could be addressed.

After a lengthy discussion, members agreed the application be deferred to the November meeting to allow the applicants time to address the issues, with the possibility the application may then be deferred to an even later meeting.